With so many moves made by UNC and Michael Malone this offseason, it's easy to forget that the first major get for the new staff was landing Virginia Tech transfer Neoklis Avdalas. Avdalas is instantly going to be a starter for Malone, and his versatility stands out. He's been showcasing that in a big way during summer workouts in Chapel Hill.
With the majority of the roster on campus getting ready for next season, Carolina gave fans a small taste of what Avdalas can do with the ball in his hands. As you'll be able to see in the clips below, his passing alone is eye-opening, which is going to be a major plus for the Tar Heels in 2026-27:
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) July 2, 2026
New UNC playmaker Neoklis Avdalas is in line for a huge season for the Tar Heels
Funny enough, 5-star freshman Maximo Adams was the main beneficiary of both passes highlighted, which also makes things a bit better here. Adams is hoping to make an immediate splash himself, and despite him being a baby-faced standout who just graduated high school, the potential is there for him to make a big-time difference too.
As for Avdalas, he's coming off a fantastic freshman season with the Hokies. The Greece native scored 12.1 points per game, while adding 4.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds per outing. In late February, He scored 19 points in a Virginia Tech loss to UNC, burying shots from all over the hardwood in that one.
Moving forward, he's going to want to take his game to the next level, and who better to help him do that than a former NBA Finals winner in Malone? On top of that, Avdalas is riding high right now knowing that he's also going to be joined on the hardwood by his good buddy Alexandros Samodurov, who the Tar Heels were able to sign late in the recruiting process.
The two are old friends from playing hoops as youngsters, with Avdalas jacked up knowing they'll be reunited in the ACC. For now, the expected starting five for North Carolina is Avdalas, Samodurov, Terrence Brown, Matt Able, and Jarin Stevenson. There's certainly a ton of buzz surrounding both Able and Brown leading up to next campaign and understandably so.
However, Avdalas is someone who can't be overlooked, as the 6-9, 215-pounder is a stud on both ends of the floor. His athleticism will turn plenty of heads too once the new season gets here. All in all, there's going to be a new-look lineup for the Tar Heels, with Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar, Seth Trimble, and others saying goodbye to UNC after this past season.
Despite that, Malone has worked wonders out on the recruiting trail in recent months, reminding the fanbase why taking a bit of a gamble on hiring him is going to be well worth the risk for the program. The pressure is on for Avdalas to be consistent throughout the year, but he continues to give people reason to believe he'll meet expectations and then some for the Heels.
Add us as a preferred source on Google